laserduck

I am looking to build out a proper MVP for a consumer product I've been working on. I have enough experience with Arduinos/microcontroller programming that I was able to build a low fidelity prototype and test successfully with several users. However, I want something more robust now to test with a larger audience, which would likely require creating a PCB.

Is it advisable to hire freelance hardware support to build this or do I need a hardware-minded cofounder? (For further context, this is not a particularly complicated device). Wanted to learn what your experiences were with hiring freelance and if you had any recommendations for platforms to use/engineers to hire.

I have made an Arduino prototype that addresses a somewhat niche household use case. I originally made it for fun, but after showing it to some friends who offered to pay money for it without any prompting - I realized I might have a potential business that I would like to explore further. However, I am too embarrassed of how ragtag the device currently is to make more prototypes and sell them (literally held together by tape, string, and a prayer). And I am just a Arduino hobbyist who does not know how to make a more refined product.

Has anyone gone through this process before and have useful advice/guide/readings? Thanks in advance!